Featured: ChessMemory Match: Free Card Matching Game
Flip two cards at a time and find every pair. Train your memory solo against the clock, or take turns with friends and collect the most pairs.
Tap a card to flip it. Arrow keys and Enter work too.
How to play Memory Match
Pick a board
Easy has 12 cards, Medium 16 and Hard 24. Every card has exactly one twin somewhere on the board.
Flip two cards
Tap or click two face down cards. Each flip shows an animal, and two flips count as one move.
Match or remember
A pair stays face up with a green ring. A miss flashes red and both cards turn back over.
Clear the board
Find every pair. Solo, fewer moves earn more stars. With friends, the most pairs wins the board.
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Rules and scoring
Memory Match is the classic card matching game also known as Concentration or Pairs. All cards start face down in a grid, and each animal appears on exactly two cards. On your move you turn over two cards. If they show the same animal you have found a pair and the cards stay face up. If they do not match, look closely, because both cards flip back after a moment.
Solo: one move is two flipped cards. Your goal is to clear the board in as few moves as possible, and the clock shows how long you took. You earn three stars when your moves are at most the number of pairs plus 25 percent, two stars up to 1.75 times the pairs, and one star for any finished board. A perfect game, where every move is a match, takes exactly as many moves as there are pairs.
With friends: players take turns. Find a pair and you score it and go again. Miss and the turn passes to the next player. The player with the most pairs wins the board, and a tie for most pairs means nobody wins that board. The match winner is the player who wins the most boards, and if that is level, the most pairs in total.
Boards and settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Easy | 6 pairs, 12 cards in 4 columns. A quick game and a great start for kids. |
| Medium | 8 pairs, 16 cards in a 4 by 4 grid. The classic size. |
| Hard | 12 pairs, 24 cards. 6 columns on a computer, 4 columns on a phone. |
| Players | Rooms hold 2, 3 or 4 players. The host picks the room size. |
| Boards | A single board, best of 3 or best of 5 in a room. |
Your best moves, best time and best star rating for each board size are saved on this device.
Tips to remember the cards
Flip with a plan. When you have no pair in mind, turn over cards you have never seen instead of guessing at random. Many players sweep the board in order, row by row, so they always know which cards are still a mystery.
Use your first flip wisely. Turn a new card first. If you already know where its twin is, take the pair. If not, your second flip is a free look at another unknown card, and that information pays off a few moves later.
Name and place what you see. Say the animal and its spot quietly to yourself, such as "lion, top row, second card". Linking a picture to a word and a place makes it much easier to recall. Some players turn the board into a little story where the frog sits next to the panda in the corner.
Watch every flip in a group game. When friends play, every card someone else turns over is free information for you. The best players remember the misses of others and collect several pairs in a row when their turn comes.
Start small and build up. Clear Easy in the fewest moves you can, then step up to Medium and Hard. Your best results are saved, so you can see your memory improve over time.
Benefits of a memory game for kids and adults
A card matching game is simple to learn yet it trains real skills. Holding the position of several cards in your head works your short term and working memory. Ignoring distractions until the right card appears builds attention and concentration. For young children the game also helps with recognizing pictures, taking turns and patience, and it is a gentle way to practice naming animals. For adults it is a relaxing brain break that still keeps the mind active. Play a quick board as a warm up before study or work, or as a calm activity at the end of the day.
Play with friends online
Choose Play friends, enter your name and create a room. Share the six character code or the invite link with up to three friends, and everyone joins from their own phone, tablet or computer. The host chooses the room size, the board and the number of boards. Every player sees the same cards, and the host's game checks every flip, so nobody can peek at a card before it is turned over. The starting player rotates from board to board, so with three or four players everyone gets a fair go. If someone closes their tab, the game notices, skips their turn and carries on with the others.
Memory Match FAQ
Is Memory Match free to play?
Yes. Memory Match is completely free and runs in your web browser on phones, tablets and computers. There is nothing to download and you do not need an account.
How do you play the memory match game?
All cards start face down and every animal appears on exactly two cards. Flip two cards per move. If they match, they stay face up. If not, they turn back over, so remember where each animal was and clear the board.
What counts as a move?
One move is two flipped cards, whether they match or not. A perfect game takes exactly as many moves as there are pairs: 6 on Easy, 8 on Medium and 12 on Hard.
How are the stars worked out?
You get three stars when your moves are at most the number of pairs plus 25 percent, two stars up to 1.75 times the number of pairs, and one star for any finished board. Your best moves, time and stars are saved on this device.
How do I play memory match with friends?
Choose Play friends, enter your name and create a room. Share the six character code or the invite link with up to three friends. The host picks the room size, the board and single board, best of 3 or best of 5.
Who wins a multiplayer game?
Players take turns, and a match gives you another turn while a miss passes it on. The player with the most pairs wins the board, and a tie for most pairs means nobody wins it. The match goes to the most boards won, then to the most pairs in total.
Can other players see the cards before they are flipped?
No. The host keeps the shuffled deck secret and only sends a card's animal to the players when that card is flipped. The host also checks every flip, so nobody can move out of turn.
Is this memory game good for kids?
Yes. The cute animal cards and the small Easy board make it a great first memory game for kids, and it trains attention, picture recognition and taking turns. Adults can step up to Hard with 24 cards as a quick brain workout.
More brain and puzzle games
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